


Color Me Blue

by Carmenlire



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, Baker Magnus Bane, Christmas, Doctor Alec Lightwood, First Meetings, Holidays, Hospitals, M/M, Medical Inaccuracies, Medical Procedures, Meet-Cute, Mistletoe, New Year's Eve, Surgery, Tired Alec Lightwood, Ugly Holiday Sweaters, i tried but barely tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-13 08:57:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16889508
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Carmenlire/pseuds/Carmenlire
Summary: Christmas is his favorite time of the year but Alec has barely had time to buy presents let alone enjoy the holiday season. December seems to have lasted the blink of an eye and Alec's shoulders hunch as he realizes morosely that most of this year is a blur of emergencies and rounds and consultations.His gaze snags on a bakery display as he walks past. The window is dressed with multicolored lights and garland wrapping around the edges. The display case is full and Alec’s mouth waters just at the sight.Without conscious thought, Alec is reaching for the door to Bane's Bakery, eager to see if the interior is just as whimsical and welcoming as the outside.





	1. Chapter 1

He’s waiting at the doors to the emergency room, checking his watch impatiently. The ambulance is two minutes out and Alec briefly runs down what he knows of the victim.

Little girl. Six years old. She was sitting on the side of impact and has a shattered leg, broken collarbone, and probably half a dozen other injuries besides.

From the preliminary call in, Alec knows that his double shift just turned into a triple. He hasn’t slept in over twenty four hours and he’s thankful that he’d had enough time to throw back a triple espresso at the hospital cafe right before the call came in.

The ambulance pulls up and Alec and his team are immediately opening the doors. Pulling the stretcher out of the back, Alec checks the patient’s pupils and sees that she’s awake and responsive. While Maia gets vitals, the girl looks at Alec.

Her eyes are full of pain and a lot scared but there’s a calmness in her gaze that Alec’s rarely encountered, even in adults.

“Hey there,” he says with his best bedside manner tone. “I know it hurts a lot but we’re going to fix you right up and in time for Christmas, too. Okay?”

While he’s talking, Alec checks out the leg and curses internally. It’s turning purple which means not only is there some type of internal bleeding but bone might be lodged against the artery. 

They need to get her into emergency surgery before she loses it.

Alec starts barking out orders, hurrying to the OR.

“Prep her for emergency surgery. Call Dr. Herondale to assist and reserve operating room two. Notify her parents or next of kin that barring complications, surgery will take a minimum of four hours.” Alec turns his head to where the med student in his first semester of residency is hurrying along with the gurney and frowns. “Focus, Lewis,” Alec snaps. “A patient is a patient and she can’t afford for you to get lost in your own head. And neither can I.”

Pausing just long enough to see Lewis shakily nod, Alec gives a few last minute instructions as they approach the OR and it's time for the nursing staff to take the girl into the room for prep. He’s startled, though, as he feels something slide into his hand just as he’s about to head toward his own prep area to put on new scrubs and get cleaned up for surgery.

He looks down and smiles as he sees the little girl has latched onto his hand, holding with all of her not inconsiderable strength. Leaning over her, Alec takes a second to smooth her hair back.

“Am I gonna be okay?” Her voice is soft and uncertain and Alec sees hope warring with doubt.

His smile grows gentler as he nods resolutely. “Wanna know a secret?” She nods. “I’m the best damn doctor in this hospital and I already promised you’d be back home with enough time for Santa to stop by your house. I don’t make promises I can’t keep, sweetheart, alright?”

She nods again and so does Alec, to seal the promise. She lets go and doesn’t have time to say anything else before she’s being wheeled into the operating room. Turning away from the doors Alec blows out a sigh, shaking his head to clear it.

The truth is, Alec doesn’t know what’s waiting for them on the other side of surgery. He’ll work like hell to save the leg but his biggest worry isn’t just that-- if there is pressure against an artery, then it wouldn’t take much for a blood clot to form and migrate to her lung.

They need to start surgery.

Fray, an intern in the neurosurgical department, holds out operating scrubs for Alec to slide his arms into and he’s putting his mask on. He strides over to the sink, turning on the faucet and lathering up his hands all the way to the elbow with the hospital’s soap that’s astringent as hell. When he turns, Clary is already holding his gloves and helps him slide them on.

Holding his arms out in front of him, he hits the swinging door with his back and sees the anesthesiologist just pulling the mask away from her. Jace enters the room just a few seconds later and Alec’s calling for the room lights to be shut off.

The next several hours are touch and go. Alec resets the leg, taking twice as long as anticipated. With the leg shattered, the bone fragments are a pain in the ass and Alec has to use several metal pins in a laborious process. He fixes the artery and blood flow and exhales deeply yet silently when color starts to return to the lower limb.

Things hit a wall halfway through the operation when the girl’s blood pressure drops. It’s a near instantaneous thing-- one minute Alec is stitching up her leg in a pattern he could do in his sleep and the next, the heart monitor starts screeching.

“Goddamnit,” Alec mutters viciously. He shares a look with Jace before he resumes stitching her leg. “Get 4ccs of .9NS in her stat,” he snaps and hears Lewis scrambling for a syringe with half an ear.

He barely hears it when Lewis says, “Done, Dr. Lightwood.” His total focus is on closing the incision and waiting the few critical seconds for the IV solution to work before he has to move on to other things.

The room breathes an imperceptible sigh of relief when the heart monitor calms down and her vitals resume normal levels. Alec’s expression doesn’t change as he snips off the last stitch and moves up to her collarbone. Jace, with the help of the assistants, immediately start wrapping a cast around her leg, toes to hip. Alec gently brings a brace around her shoulder to help the collarbone stay immobile.

There are a few minor wounds and injuries to see to but after another forty five minutes, Alec steps back and orders the room lights to be turned back on.

The little girl looks to be one big bandage but she’s alive and in no immediate danger-- with a full recovery expected.

Nodding to the team as they wheel her back to what will be her room, Alec takes his mask off with Jace as they leave the OR and start heading to the lockers to shower.

“You did good work today, buddy.”

Alec works out a twinge in his back from being hunched over so long as he throws Jace a cautiously pleased look. “We saved her leg and that was the biggest concern.”

Rolling his eyes, Jace punches him in the shoulder after discarding their gloves. “I’d think the ‘best damn doctor in this hospital’ would have a bit more of an ego.”

“I might play God for a living but I’m not him. Things could just as easily have ended with a casualty and a wasted operation.”

“No need to be so optimistic, Alec, Jesus Christ.”

Alec glares but doesn’t say anything else. The two of them shower and Jace changes into clean scrubs while Alec throws on his street clothes.

“How long have you been here, anyway?”

Alec narrows his eyes as he thinks and tries to hide his yawn. “I had a double shift but I’ve been on call for the past thirty six hours.”

Jace curses. “Fuck, Alec. You know that’s too long.”

“Catarina needed this weekend off and I didn’t have any plans, so,” Alec shrugs. “I’ve been at the hospital since Friday night.”

Jace sends Alec an incredulous glance. “It’s Sunday morning-- no afternoon.”

Shrugging again, Alec slings his bag over his shoulder and starts toward the door. “Don’t worry. I’m heading back to my place and plan on sleeping until this time tomorrow.”

“See that you do,” is all Jace says and Alec rolls his eyes again for good measure before sending a half-ass salute in his direction.

Before he leaves the hospital, though, he heads up to the tenth floor and checks in on his patient. She’s just waking up when Alec knocks gently on her door and her and her parents turn up to look at the interruption.

“Good afternoon,” he says. “I just wanted to check in on my newest patient.”

Holding out a hand for the parents, he introduces himself. “I’m Alec Lightwood, Head of the Emergency Room with a specialty in pediatrics. I operated on Amanda this morning.”

“Thank you so much, Doctor.” The dad’s voice is teary as he shakes Alec’s hand with a firm grip. “Her mother and I have been besides ourselves all morning but we were assured by the staff that our little girl was with the best.”

The mother nods along to her husband’s words. “The other car came out of nowhere, running a red light. There wasn’t any time to do anything. Thank you for saving her,” the mom ends, choked off.

Smiling warmly, Alec replies, “It’s my job and Amanda came through everything like a champ. I expect her to make a full recovery. She’ll be running around like nothing’s happened by summer.”

Making his way to the bed, Alec sees Amanda leveling him with a serious expression. “You kept your promise,” she says.

“I try to never break a promise.”

Sneakily, she reaches out. Her coordination is still off from the anesthesia and Alec lets his hand be grabbed again, resting it against her side on the bed. “I was really scared,” she confesses.

Alec hums, thoughtful. Choosing his words carefully, he says, “It’s okay to be afraid. Everyone’s afraid sometimes but what matters is that you try your best and face those fears. All’s well that ends well and I don’t see any reason why you won’t be waking up in your own bed with a tree full of presents waiting for you.”

“Christmas is in three days,” she exclaims.

Alec chuckles. “It is,” he agrees. “If you’re good, I think we might just be able to discharge you from the hospital tomorrow morning.”

Alec watches as her eyes light up and she looks at her parents who also look overjoyed at the news.

With a last round of thank yous and goodbyes, Alec heads out, nodding as he passes the nurse's station in the ER.

Sighing, Alec rolls back his shoulders and thanks Christ that today ended as well as it had. He's off rotation-- off call even-- until the 26th. 

Alec walks down the busy street. He'd caught the subway to work Friday and halfway wishes that he'd driven instead, even if he knows he's in no shape to be behind the wheel. 

The street is lit up and as Alec pulls out his phone, he's just a little stunned to see that it really is December 22nd. 

He laughs a little and ignores the imperceptibly bitter edge that's easily drowned out by sheer exhaustion.

He loves his job. He's the youngest Head of the ER the hospital has ever had. He's thirty three years old and feels a hundred. He's been working at the hospital-- and publishing and teaching-- for eight years now and he feels a little burned out.

Maybe a lot burned out.

He picks up shifts for everyone else and lately Alec's started to wonder if he's destined to work at the hospital until he calcifies. The truth is that doctors are notoriously married to their work and Alec can't even remember the last time he had a date that didn't end with beepers and rushed apologies let alone anything else.

He looks up as snow starts to fall and huddles into his coat a little more, shoving icy hands into his pockets. 

Christmas is his favorite time of the year but Alec has barely had time to buy presents let alone enjoy the holiday season. His apartment isn't decorated and there are no cookies shaped like snowmen waiting for him. December seems to have lasted the blink of an eye and Alec's shoulders hunch as he realizes morosely that most of this year is a blur of emergencies and rounds and consultations. 

His gaze snags on a bakery display as he walks past. The window is dressed to the nines with multicolored lights and garland wrapping around the edges. The display case is full and Alec’s mouth waters just at the site. There are the standard brownies and strudel and cakes but most of the case looks to be holiday themed. 

Alec can’t stop a smile at the sugar cookie cutouts in the shape of reindeer and Santas, ornaments and, yes, snowmen. There are cupcakes with Christmas trees and wreaths and ornaments, too. There’s even a little section devoted to Hanukkah-themed desserts.

Without conscious thought, Alec is reaching for the door. A little huff of laughter escapes him is it jingles when he pulls it and he sees bells attached to the door handle.

Inside, the place is warm and cozy and smells like toasted marshmallow and his grandmother’s homemade chocolate chip cookies. It takes him back to childhood and Alec’s instantly infatuated.

The interior of Bane’s Bakery-- Alec catches the name as he walks through the threshold-- is a veritable explosion of holiday cheer. There’s even a Christmas tree in the corner with a mountain of presents underneath.

Inhaling deeply, Alec feels his shoulders fall back, tension leaving him on a breath. Wryly, he thinks that the owner really knew what they were doing. Alec feels welcomed and warm and filled with just a bit of joy.

He’s looking through the display case inside now, absorbed in sugary treats and the promise of a hot chocolate, when he’s startled by a voice.

“Hello, there. What can I help you with today, darling?”

He straightens from where he was leaning over the baked goods and immediately loses every thought in his head.

“Hi,” he says and curses himself for sounding just a bit dumb.

The man’s professional smile widens imperceptibly. Alec takes in the dramatic makeup and hideously cute Christmas sweater and his infatuation immediately extends to the gorgeous employee.

“Good afternoon,” the man says. “Welcome to Bane’s Bakery. First time?”

It takes Alec a minute to process the words and unfortunately, he knows that he can’t just blame the attractive stranger. He’s officially been up over thirty hours and his espresso is wearing off. Still, he can’t help but smile back helplessly.

“Yeah,” he says, voice gruff. “I’m Alec.”

Like a dunce, he holds out his hand but the employee shakes his hand while his expression grows bemused.

“It’s nice to meet you, Alec. Short for Alexander, I presume?” At Alec’s silent nod, he continues. “My name is Magnus and I’m the owner of this establishment. Were you looking for anything in particular when you came in?”

Alec’s gaze drifts to the sugar cookies and without thinking he says, “Snowmen.”

Magnus claps his hands together once before rolling his sleeves up. He grabs a box, throwing a quick wink in Alec’s direction. “Ah, yes, my snowmen are famous around here. How many, darling?”

Alec stops to consider. Christmas is in just a few days. Izzy and Jace will most likely come over tomorrow evening with their significant others and fuck knows that none of them are going to bake.

“Let’s make it a dozen,” he says easily and Magnus grins as he starts filling the box.

It takes just a minute and Alec’s abashed to see that he’s taken all but one snowman. Magnus must see his look because he shakes his head ruefully.

“Please don’t worry about buying me out of sugar cookies. It’s my job, after all.”

Bringing a hand to rub at the back of his neck, Alec grins sheepishly. “I swear I’m not going to eat them all by myself.”

Magnus laughs as he moves over to the cash register. After checking that Alec doesn’t want anything else-- besides a hot chocolate, extra marshmallows _and_ extra whipped cream-- Magnus looks up at Alec.

“Don’t you know, bakers are a lot like bartenders or therapists. We see all sorts of people and don’t ask questions. We just give them what they want and sometimes a willing ear.”

Alec is just about to answer when he cuts himself off with a yawn. He might black out for a split second but it’s no one’s business but his own. Shaking his head to clear it, Alec reaches for his wallet and hands Magnus his card.

“Sorry about that,” Alec apologizes. “I just got off shift and I’m dead on my feet.”

Accepting the card, Magnus runs it through the machine, making a sympathetic noise. “Are you a doctor then?”

Nodding, Alec takes his card back and signs with a signature that could be literally anyone’s, full of illegible swirls.

“I work in the ER at NYU Hospital a couple of blocks away. I’ve been at the hospital since Friday.” Alec winces as he says the words, realizing that it isn’t an inconsiderable amount of time to be at work, even for him-- even if it’s not a record by far.

Magnus sends him an incredulous look. “And just a few days before Christmas? You must have a very understanding family.”

Alec smiles faintly. “They’re busy with their own lives. Make no mistake we’re close, but my siblings have significant others that demand a lot of their time.” He shrugs. “It’s to be expected that I’m usually busy.”

Humming, Magnus looks thoughtful. “I hope that you’ve had time to pause and smell the holly. It’s the happiest time of year, after all.”

“I barely remember my name most days, I’m always running around like my ass is on fire. I was just thinking that it’s been ages since I did anything besides eat, sleep, and breathe work. Truthfully, even when I’m not working I just want to sleep.”

“Well, I hope the hot chocolate keeps you awake until you get back home.”

Alec watches Magnus as he turns his back to him to prepare his drink. “You and me both,” he says absently.

It’s just a few moments later that Magnus is putting the finishing touches on Alec’s drink. He raises a brow but faithfully pours about a million mini marshmallows into the cup and Alec can’t help his grin.

“Thanks.”

Sliding the cup over the counter, Magnus smiles at Alec. For a second, Alec is struck by the smile. It’s friendly and welcoming. It’s everything that it’s supposed to be but Alec hopes that he’s not imagining the genuine look of interest. Distantly, Alec figures they could be friends one of these days or even another life.

He curses internally. He really needs to go to sleep before he starts voicing these asinine thoughts.

“I hope this isn’t the last I’ll be seeing of you, Alexander.”

Alec takes his drink, blowing against the lid to cool it a little before taking a tentative sip. As soon as it hits his tongue, he’s grinning, looking up to see the pleased look on Magnus’s face.

Gathering his box of cookies, Alec takes a step back. It’s just him and Magnus in the bakery and Alec blames the sleep deprivation for his unusual boldness.

“Something tells me I'll be back,” he says and turns around to the front door. He just catches the smile that widens on Magnus’s face at the words and the way he looks away from Alec.

Alec leaves without another word and opens the door a little clumsily since his hands are full.

The jingle of the bell above the door makes him happy and with a sigh, Alec continues his commute home.

Maybe there’s joy in the little things after all, Alec thinks. Maybe he has to grab his spots of happiness when he can and if that means visiting a bakery that beckons him inside with an owner that makes him forget his name, then he’ll just have to become a regular customer.

Alec walks home, cursing the snow and the cold but feeling more lighthearted than he can remember being in years.


	2. Chapter 2

Magnus unlocks the front door of his bakery, reaching to turn on the lights on autopilot. It’s just past four in the morning and as Magnus takes in his space, he’s struck for the millionth time by how much he loves what he does.

Though that love can only become more fervent after some coffee.

Heading towards the back, Magnus shucks off his coat and places it on the hook by his desk, followed soon after by his scarf-- a little ugly and a lot colorful, courtesy of Madzie-- and gloves. Throwing his apron on and tying it at the waist, Magnus washes his hands before brewing a cup of coffee strong enough to kill a man-- at the first sip of caffeine, he breathes out a sigh and lingers over his mug while he reads over the day’s planned menu and checks his email for any special orders that might have come in.

It’s December 23rd and as he polishes off his coffee, Magnus rolls up his sleeves-- he's wearing yet another festive sweater-- and gets to work.

He opened Bane’s Bakery straight out of culinary school. He’d been twenty two and on the verge of accepting another apprenticeship with a world renowned pastry chef in Paris when he’d walked past this little gem in the heart of Manhattan and had fallen in love with the space brimming with personality and possibility.

It had been a few hard, long years full of sweating out budgets and building a clientele that had come to find Bane synonymous with perfection.

Magnus woke up each and every day knowing that he’d found his little slice of contentment.

Rolling out shortbread dough for the day’s buttered reindeer cookies, Magnus wryly thinks that contentment has become just the slightest bit frayed at the edges.

Oh, he still loves what he does. He still wakes up and looks forward to putting his own spin on macarons or cupcakes or blondies. He likes the challenge and creativity required to make a beautifully packaged dessert every time. More than once, he’s wondered that it was what he was made to do. Baking is his lifeblood and Magnus loves being such an integral part of people’s lives-- whether its in celebration or commiseration or just to add a spot of brightness to their days.

Still. Baking has become something of an escape for Magnus. He can admit-- to himself at least-- that he’s taken to pouring all of his energy into his chocolate mousse and sherry frosting. He has his family and he still enjoys the occasional morning at home, but something’s missing and has been for a couple of years now.

Magnus blames the holidays for the fact that his single status stings just a bit more than usual. Dusting his hands off, Magnus wipes his hands on a towel and heads to the front, flipping the sign to _open_ and turning the lights and tree and other assorted decorations on. 

He heads to the back and starts bringing the morning’s selections out, lining them up neatly in the display case. It’s a riot of color and texture and as he does every morning, Magnus goes to the public area and studies the case, making sure that everything is shown to advantage.

December is one of his favorite baking times and the case reflects that. There’s a snowman shaped cake resting in its cake stand on top of the glass and inside there are sugar cookies in a dozen different colors in the shape of Santas and ornaments and ribbons. There are cupcakes covered in red and green frosting and dusted with granulated sugar to resemble snow or blue and white menorahs and Magnus is pleased with the overall effect.

He opens at six am and within minutes, he’s greeting regulars. Occasionally, he’s reaching for baked goods before the customer even approaches the counter. He knows that Mrs. Maisel likes her pistachio and raspberry muffin every morning and that Mr. Grantham orders a dozen chocolate cupcakes every Saturday for his weekly brunch.

Still, others are a mystery and it’s that unpredictability that keeps Magnus in this business. He helps twins decide on their favorite cookie and gives suggestions when a young woman comes in, desperately needing personalized desserts for her family holiday party that afternoon.

The morning passes in a quick blur and Magnus is having a hurried lunch in the back-- he’d given his staff the day off-- and looks up from his half eaten sandwich as the door swings open.

“Catarina, what brings you here? I thought you’d be working.”

Cat walks in, immediately reaching for a tray of cooling brownies resting on the stainless steel table. Magnus slaps her hand away and she glares at him as she replies, “I’m on my way in and thought I’d stop by and pick up some goodies for my nurses. No one wants to be working today but hopefully your pastries can be a bit of a pick-me-up.”

“Let me finish my lunch and then I can help you,” Magnus says, taking an extra large bite.

Cat looks at him, faintly disgusted. “First of all, half a sandwich does not a lunch make and secondly, I am perfectly capable of boxing up my own cookies.”

“I’m the proprietor,” Magnus says primly, taking a drink of his tea. “I’m the one who helps the customer, not the other way around.”

Catarina rolls her eyes and grumbles but doesn’t say anything as she waits for Magnus to wash his hands. They head out to the front area and Magnus picks up a deep red box, opening it and laying down holiday-printed wax paper.

Cat narrows her eyes at the display cases as she thinks. She settles on half a dozen frosting covered brownies and a dozen Christmas cookies, buying him out of reindeer shortbread.

She goes on to order a selection of vegan and nut free desserts along with his more traditional pastries. As he rings her up-- adding a white chocolate mocha-- Magnus sends her a dry look.

“You’ve bought me out of damn near everything, dear.” Glancing at the clock, he continues, “I’m still open for another two hours.”

Grinning, Cat just says, “You’re welcome. You’re still coming over tomorrow evening, right?”

Magnus just sends her a droll look as he closes the two boxes and starts wrapping them with silver ribbon. “Of course I’ll be there. Everyone’s been coming over to your house on Christmas Eve for ten years now. Why the hell would I miss it?’

“Oh, I don’t know,” Catarina says with an innocent look. “Maybe you’ve met someone.”

Magnus doesn’t get a chance to do anything more than scoff before she’s continuing with, “No, you’re right. What was I thinking? You haven’t brought anyone with you to the party in four years.”

“Three,” Magnus mutters and doesn’t even flinch when Cat flicks his shoulder. 

“When’s the last time you went on a date?”

Cutting off the excess ribbon, Magnus looks up to see his friend’s face. With a sigh, he recognizes the look in her eye.

“No.”

“You don’t even know what I was going to say,” she says with an arch look.

“Yes, I do, dear. You have someone that you want to set me up with. Well, the answer is no,” Magnus says firmly.

“And why not,” Catarina demands. “You just turned thirty five. Don’t you want to share your life with someone?”

“No need to have me halfway in the grave yet, Catarina. Good God,” he muses as he heads to the back to finish frosting the now-cooled brownies.

Cat follows behind and sits down across from him, watching in a sort of fond interest as Magnus starts icing the brownies with a deft hand in a swirling pattern. Thankfully, they’re in the midst of an afternoon lull and there are no customers to overhear Catarina’s wheedling.

“I’m only thirty five,” he repeats. “There’s no need to find myself a companion to settle down with in my old age yet.”

Rolling her eyes, Cat snags a brownie that falls apart, ignoring Magnus’s protest. “You know that wasn’t what I was saying. I just think that you’ve devoted so much time to this bakery that you’ve closed yourself off to anything that might challenge that. You’ve got to know that isn’t healthy or wise.”

“Catarina, my friend, I work twelve hour days and get up before dawn most of the time. There aren’t many people who would tolerate that. Can’t say I blame them either,” Magnus says absently as he forms a row of rosettes on the edge of a brownie.

“What about a doctor? They’re used to long hours.”

Humming in thought, Magnus shakes his head. “Doctors are unpredictable, dear. At least my schedule is predictable. I don’t need to worry that my significant other is going to be called to work in the middle of the night. Or that they’ll work themselves into the ground for a forty hour shift,” Magnus says, thoughts snagging on the man he’d met yesterday.

Magnus had been in the back whipping up a batch of meringue when he’d heard the bell on the front door ring, signalling a new customer. He’d taken a critical moment to continue making the mixture, not wanting it to eventually fall apart in the oven if he stopped without adding all of the egg whites, one at a time.

Wiping his hands on a dish towel, he’d pushed the swinging door open to reveal the most gorgeous man he’d ever seen. He was obviously operating on no sleep or coming off a three day binge with the way his no doubt heavy five o’clock shadow had grown into a beard and the way shadows bruised his eyes.

Still, he was breathtakingly beautiful and Magnus had taken a minute to watch him, full attention caught on his bakery display with all the excitement of a child.

He’d tried to ignore the relief that had come over him when he’d realized the man was a doctor freshly off shift. They’d talked a little and Magnus had found himself secretly but overwhelmingly charmed as the man had ordered a hot chocolate sweet enough for an army.

What had started out as a routine transaction had turned into more. Magnus didn’t know why but he’d seen the hint of interest and couldn’t help but return it fully. He usually didn’t flirt-- _much_ \-- with his customers but there was just something about the earnest yet exhausted doctor that had him opening up, his smiling tipping from merely professional friendliness to welcoming.

He’d been unforgivably pleased when Alec had told him that he’d be back with a subtle smile.

Resolutely, Magnus has _not_ been looking up at every chime of the door’s bell today. With a sigh, he entertains the idea that Alec had been merely humoring him.

 _More’s the pity_ , he thinks and looks up as Catarina clears her throat pointedly.

“Yes?”

“What’s got you so preoccupied?”

Waving that away, Magnus merely offers a smile. “What always has be preoccupied? I’m thinking about next week’s menu.”

“Don’t you see, that’s what I’m talking about,” Cat exclaims. “Wouldn’t you prefer to think about someone instead of your blasted chocolate and spun sugar?”

“No,” Magnus says distractedly. “I never get tired of thinking about dessert. You of all people should know that.”

Rolling her eyes, Catarina stands from her chair, reaching for the two boxes of pastries she’d chosen.

“I just think that you and this doctor would get along. Why don’t you just give him a chance?”

Plating the finished brownies up to take them to the front, Magnus just shakes his head. “I’ve given you three chances, Cat, and all three people you set me up with were utter disasters.”

“Name one,” she demands.

Magnus just gives her a look as he uses his back to open the door. “Antonio.”

“What was wrong with him? You went on three dates.”

“Yeah,” Magnus says dryly. “Unfortunately, it took me that long to look past his admittedly gorgeous face. When I did, though, I couldn’t quite ignore how much he talked about his pet parakeet.”

“Parakeets are cute,” Catarina offers defensively.

“Not when you get to listen to their mating rituals for an hour and a half straight,” Magnus returns grimly.

“Okay,” Cat acknowledges. “But that was only one--”

“Bridget.”

“Oh,” she says morosely. “Bridget.”

“She ordered the most expensive thing on the menu-- which, okay-- and then ducked out before it even arrived.” He winces. “I’m still annoyed that I didn’t see her grab my wallet.”

Cat nods, wincing in sympathy. “You had to call me from the hostess station to pay for dinner and take you home.”

“She didn’t even leave me enough money for cab fare.”

“That really should have been a warning sign that she was embezzling from the hospital,” Catarina muses.

“So, you see dear, I am not going out with anyone else you suggest. I’d go so far as to say that I’d run in the other direction from any of your prospective dates.”

“Still,” Cat insists. “The person I have in mind is different. He’s the head of the ER, for starters, and his background is in pediatrics.”

“Not exactly a ringing endorsement for a boyfriend,” Magnus interjects with a raised brow. “If he’s the head of any department and not seventy years old, that means he’s a workaholic. Plus, the emergency room? That just says he’s used to being on call for all manner of emergencies.”

“It says he’s dependable and likes kids.”

Magnus harrumphs and Cat opens her mouth just for Magnus to speak first.

“I appreciate what you’re trying to do-- _I do_ \-- but I don’t need any help with my love life. So, I’m in a little bit of a rut. It happens to the best of us. For your information, I went on a date just last month.”

“And?”

“ _And_ while she was perfectly friendly, there was nothing there. I’m not incapable of dating, dear, I just don’t want to. I’m focused on my business-- I’ve been thinking of opening a second location-- and I’m perfectly content to wait until love comes my way.”

“Sometimes you have to grab fate my the balls and bend it to your will,” Cat says darkly but her expression softens as she looks at Magnus.

She lays a hand on his from over the counter. “I’m sorry if I’m beating you over the head with a potential blind date. I just see how hard you work and how much love you have and I don’t want it to go to waste. I want you to find someone, especially since it’s supposed to be the happiest time of the year.”

Magnus smiles softly at Cat, one of his oldest friends, and pulls her in for a hug. “I promise I’m not whiling my days away waiting for my soulmate. I have my family and friends and my bakery. I think I have it pretty good, don’t you?”

“Not as good as if you had someone to share it with,” Cat mumbles into his shoulder.

Laughing quietly, Magnus pulls back to give Catarina a fond is slightly exasperated look. “I’ll make you a deal okay? If I don’t find someone by New Year’s, I’ll let you set me up. Okay?”

Narrowing her eyes, Catarina studies him. “You’re just saying that so I get off your back.”

With a grin, Magnus just counters, “Are you really going to look a gift horse in the mouth?”

“I suppose not,” Cat sighs. “I really think you’d like him, Magnus. He might work more than he should, but he has a heart of gold. He’s pretty easy on the eyes, too,” she teases, pulling away and taking a step back, grabbing her pastries.

Barking out a laugh, Magnus sends her an arch look. “You know me too well, my dear.”

Catarina just grins smugly, before turning on her heel and making her way to the front door.

The bell dings and soon enough, it’s silent in the bakery. Magnus sighs a little as he stands in front of the counter, taking in Bane’s Bakery in all its holiday glory.

Christmas is his favorite time of year, though he silently acknowledges that there’s only so much that his customers can give him. Sure he likes seeing the kids’ eyes light up when they see the display case and he loves creating special orders in the back and working in the morning quiet, just him and his dough, but as Magnus watches the Christmas tree in the corner complete slow revolutions and sees the way the lights seem to glow just a little brighter in the afternoon gloom, he wonders if Catarina isn’t on to something after all.

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to have someone to go home to, someone who could taste test his latest recipes and tell him they were good even when they're obviously garbage.

It might be nice to have a reason to slow down, someone else to focus some of his energy on.

Magnus’s mind flashes to the man from yesterday and he distantly thinks that he would have said yes in a heartbeat if Cat was offering Alec up.

Magnus certainly wouldn’t mind getting to know him better.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Magnus looks up as the door opens, bringing a laughing family and a gust of cold air dusted with snowflakes.

As he focuses on his latest customers, Magnus tamps down his lingering thoughts of love and romance.

He has better things to do and better ways to spend his time than pining for what he doesn't have.


	3. Chapter 3

Alec wakes slowly, feeling groggy but well-rested. He feels like he’s slept for ages and it takes a minute before he realizes what must have roused him.

He hears faint music from the living room and groans, just a little, before snuggling deeper into his bed. Blearily, he thinks that he must have left the tv on.

As he slowly but surely comes back online, Alec reaches for the phone that he’d had just enough brain power to charge before crashing. Seeing that he’d slept eighteen hours, Alec lets his phone fall to the bed and closes his eyes for a few more minutes before rolling over to his back.

Staring up at the ceiling, he thinks of everything he needs to do. Christmas is only two days away and Alec still needs to wrap his presents and put up his tree. That’ll take the rest of the morning and Alec plans to spend the afternoon finishing the biography that he’d been reading for the past three months.

He has three days off-- off call even-- and plans to make the most of it by doing absolutely nothing. The only thing on his to do list is Christmas morning at his mother’s and it’s something that Alec looks forward to every year-- though now that he reflects, Alec realizes it’s been two years since he last spent Christmas with his family.

_Damn being on call_ , he thinks wryly and ignores the twinge of despair that permeates the thought.

Scrubbing his hands over his face, Alec sighs. Climbing out of bed seems like a herculean task but he does it with minimal pouting before padding over to the bathroom. He’d stripped from his street clothes yesterday afternoon and they’re still laying next to his dresser where he’d changed into one of his oldest-- and most comfortable-- pairs of sweats that have his soccer number on the leg along with the name of his college alma mater.

Alec yawns wide enough to crack his jaw as he leaves the bathroom and heads to the kitchen. His stomach is grumbling and he can’t quite remember the last time he ate anything. Distantly, he thinks he had a sandwich sometime Saturday night and winces as it’s now Monday morning.

He grins, though, as he remembers his impromptu stop yesterday. It takes him a minute but he lands on the name soon enough and his smile only grows wider as everything comes back to him.

“Bane’s Bakery,” Alec says to himself, testing out the name now that he isn’t in imminent danger of passing out from sleep deprivation or a caffeine overdose.

Admittedly, some of the details are fuzzy now. Alec remembers being just the tiniest bit delirious with his lack of sleep and seeing a bakery decked out to the nines in festive holiday cheer, smelling like sugar cookies and chocolate and simpler times.

He bites his lip to contain his smile as his thoughts turn to the owner. 

Magnus.

Alec’s dating life is dismal. His last boyfriend broke up with him after one too many cancelled dates and Alec hadn’t even been annoyed or sad or anything really. All he’d felt was relief that he could turn back to his work, grateful that he’d lost a distraction.

Even he knows that’s not healthy. 

He shouldn’t feel dread at the prospect of a date. He should feel something when he’s broken up with. Mostly, Alec had just shrugged and continued on with his life, unphased.

It’s not often that he comes up for air these days and Alec wants to enjoy what little free time he has with people he actually likes.

He liked Magnus, though.

Preoccupied, Alec’s wanders into the main part of his apartment, headed straight for the kitchen. He doesn’t look into the living room and yelps when he rounds the corner and someone’s standing at his counter over an open pastry box.

“What the hell are you doing here,” Alec snaps, raising a hand to his chest to catch his breath.

Isabelle just grins, unrepentant. “I know you’ve been working like a madman so I came over this morning to put up your decorations. I checked in on you a couple times but you were snoring away, so I left you alone.”

Regaining his equilibrium, Alec just walks over to Isabelle, peering into the box. When he sees the contents-- or lack thereof-- he looks up, betrayed. 

“You ate all of my cookies,” he asks, voice wounded.

“You’ve been sleeping for hours and Jace was here earlier-- he ate most of them.”

“They were so good,” Alec mumbles, frowning down at the box.

Laying a hand on his shoulder, Isabelle replies, “They were pretty good. Probably the best sugar cookies I’ve ever had-- and they were cute as hell too. Where’d you find them?”

“Someplace called Bane’s Bakery. It’s close to the hospital,” Alec says absently. He’s too busy mourning his cookies to pay his sister much mind.

“Alec.”

Looking up at his name, Alec realizes that Isabelle must have been calling him for a while if her exasperated tone is any indication.

“What,” he asks, sullen. He doesn’t even care if she calls him out for pouting-- those cookies were his and discovering Magnus and his bakery had been the highlight of his day-- his damned month-- and he’d been looking forward to a sweet breakfast.

“Why don’t you just go get some more,” Isabelle suggests, as if Alec is particularly dimwitted.

“I’m not dressed and it’s cold outside.”

Izzy rolls her eyes. “Then put a shirt on and your wool reindeer socks and stop whining.”

Alec just glares without saying anything. He goes over to his Keurig, firing it up and less than a minute later he’s taking his first sip of hot, life-affirming coffee.

He closes his eyes and breathes in the scent, ignoring the way Isabelle watches him impassively.

“Do you think you drink too much coffee,” she asks, curious.

Alec opens his eyes as he takes a deep inhale. “Do you think you eat too many starbursts?”

The siblings stare at each other, reaching an impasse before Isabelle waves their middling argument away and finishes off the last snowman.

Alec looks away and his stern expression lightens with pure joy as he takes in his living room. 

He doesn’t know how Izzy-- and Jace-- managed it but his tree is up, tinsel and ribbon and lights and ornaments all adorning the tree, making it look hideous but festive and Alec can’t contain a laugh as he sees that they’ve also decorated the rest of the apartment with garland and little knickknacks and even a miniature blow up penguin in the corner by his bookcase.

Alec feels something in him ease at the festivity even as his heart clutches a little. While he’s grateful that his siblings had taken the time to come over and decorate his apartment, they shouldn’t have had to. Alec loves Christmas and decorating for the season but between one thing and another-- work and more goddamn work-- he just hadn’t had the time.

He walks over to Izzy, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and resting his head on top of hers. “Thank you,” he murmurs. “You didn’t have to but I appreciate it.”

Isabelle just wraps a hand around his forearm and pats his shoulder with the other. “You’re welcome, _hermano_. It wasn’t even hard plus it was just a little something extra to get me in the Christmas spirit.”

They’re silent for a minute before Izzy’s voice breaks their quiet bubble. “You work too hard, you know?”

Alec hums as he rubs his chin over her hair, smiling as she grumbles. “Yeah, but it’s my job. It’s what I’m best at.”

“Well, I happen to think you’re great at a lot of other things besides stitching people up, Dr. Lightwood.”

Alec closes his eyes and sways them side to side in the peaceful silence of his kitchen. Almost without thinking he mumbles, “I’m tired, Iz.”

“Why don’t you sleep a little more and then we can go out for lunch? My treat.”

At that, Alec pulls away, shooting his sister a deadpan look. “I can afford my own meal.”

Rolling her eyes, Isabelle replies, “Okay, moneybags, but I’m trying to be nice. Don’t ruin it.”

Alec rolls his eyes right back but smiles as he ruffles her hair, his laughter ringing out as she slaps his shoulder, glaring at him, and tries to fix it.

Alec grabs his coffee and turns toward his bedroom. Isabelle falls to the couch and reaches for the remote, settling in to watch A Christmas Story, her favorite Christmas movie since she was a child.

He leaves her to it and closes the door behind him. He sits on his bed, reaching for his phone. While he finishes his coffee, he gets caught up on the latest headlines and loses himself for twenty minutes on a cute puppy compilation video.

Checking on the last gift he’s been waiting for and seeing that it’s supposed to arrive tomorrow-- Christmas Eve-- Alec frowns a little as he swallows the last of his coffee.

Max had been raving about this particular video game for ages and Alec had desperately checked all of the local stores on his meal breaks for a week straight before going to Amazon and ordering the last one they had in stock.

He’d been acting like a confused elderly uncle whenever Max brought the game up, acting as if he had no idea what he was talking about and that Max needed to tell him something he actually knew to buy.

He’d been hoping to surprise Max with the game-- and a customized controller-- and Alec winces, hoping that he won’t really be empty-handed come Christmas morning.

With a yawn, Alec locks his phone and places it on the nightstand, shuffling down until he’s laying down and buries his face in his pillow, humming happily.

Alec loves naps and sleeping in general and it’s just his luck that he picked a profession that requires tragically little sleep.

Alec drifts off into the early afternoon and wakes up to Isabelle poking him in the shoulder.

He glares at her, swatting her hand away. He stumbles into the bathroom and takes a shower that’s hot and longer than three minutes and when he gets dressed, he’s ready for the rest of the day, feeling remarkably refreshed after almost twenty four hours of sleep and a steaming shower-- and shaving away the beard that had accumulated during his last stretch at the hospital.

The rest of the day and evening goes by in a blur as Alec and Izzy go to Taki’s, a family favorite, and join Jace, Clary, and a few others for a lively meal that slots another piece of Alec back in place.

He knows that his work-life balance isn’t the best but he also doesn’t necessarily know how to fix it. He loves what he does even if it does seem to be weighing him down lately. The ER is mostly all he knows. He’d dabbled in a few other fields and chosen to specialize in pediatric medicine but he kept coming back to the emergency room. 

He was the lead there and liked the unpredictability of it all. He never knew what was waiting for him when he went on shift and it’s a challenge and rush that he’s never tired of, even as everything around it has gotten stale and frighteningly dull.

When Alec gets home from dinner-- and a few rounds of bowling at Isabelle’s insistence-- it’s just before nine and he’s exhausted.

He loves his family but damn if they aren’t tiring.

He wanders into the kitchen looking for his bottle opener when his gaze snags on the empty bakery box Isabelle had left on the counter. He flips the top open but it’s still depressingly lacking in cookies and Alec decides as he moves on to his junk drawer that he’ll just swing by Bane’s Bakery in the morning. While it’s Christmas Eve, Alec hopes that Magnus had decided to open for business, even if just for a few hours.

With his plans settled for the morning, Alec lets out a quiet, “Aha,” and retrieves his wine opener that looks a little the worse for wear.

He opens his favorite Bordeaux and pours a glass, taking it to the couch where he relaxes with his book for a few hours. He has Christmas music playing lowly on the radio and he’s achingly comfortable under the blanket Jace had knitted for him last winter.

Sighing as he reads the last page of the book, Alec looks up and takes in his apartment, glowing with festive cheer. There’s an older song on the radio, volume just loud enough to make out the crooning words, and Alec settles into the quiet of his apartment.

It’s been a long time since he felt so at ease. The last stretch of time off he had was over a year ago.

As he studies his apartment and takes in the Christmas tree and candles just starting to gutter in their own wax, Alec’s gaze switches to the window. He realizes, a little stunned, that it’s a bit of a blizzard outside.

The snow is falling hard enough that it’s visible in the night and Alec reaches for his wine-- his third glass of the evening-- and smiles a little.

He’s thirty three years old and it’s times like this that he wishes he could go back to when he was a kid-- or hell even just his residency days. While he’d barely slept then-- even less than he does now-- he’d had a drive that he couldn’t help but feel he lacked these days.

He packed his life into the days off he had every month and the world was so new and shiny and full of possibility.

Alec blames the late night and bottle of wine for the maudlin turn of his thoughts.

Sighing, Alec stands up, draining his glass. He rests the book against his end table and throws the throw over the back of the couch. Padding into his bedroom, Alec tumbles onto the bed, pulling up the comforter to his chin.

He makes a hazy New Year’s resolution to make more time for himself with the new year, even as he knows the goal is futile.

He falls asleep, warm and just a little floaty, and looks forward to more sugar cookies and talking with a man who makes Alec feel something.

 

The next morning is frigid and snow is still falling but Alec rolls out of bed as dull sunshine filters through his curtains. He dresses warmly, throwing on a hat and scarf _and_ gloves, pulling his coat tight to shut out the cold as best he can.

He lives close to the hospital and the bakery is only a fifteen minute walk away.

Tucking his black skinny jeans into a pair of combat boots, Alec heads downstairs. It’s early enough on Christmas Eve so that even New York still seems to be slow to wake and Alec has the sidewalks to himself as he starts toward 1st Avenue.

It’s eerily quiet and Alec feels alone. For all intents and purposes, he could be the only person in the world right now and he likes that feeling of solitude.

He doesn’t get a lot of time to himself and he tries to savor it when he can.

With an internal shrug, Alec figures that even if Bane’s Bakery was closed for the day, he had still woken up early to enjoy the day. There’s a diner just a couple of blocks away that specializes in Belgian waffles and Alec can enjoy breakfast while reading over the Times.

So saying, he breathes a sigh of relief when he rounds the corner and sees the window lit up with multicolored garland, heaps of baked goods in the glass.

Pushing the door open, Alec sniffles a little as he escapes the cold outside for the welcoming warmth of the bakery. Now that he’s closer, he can see definite gaps in the display which means that there must have been quite an opening rush even if it looks like things had died down since.

He’s the only one in the bakery again and as he looks over cookies and brownies and croissants, Alec smiles.

He hears muted words coming from the back and figures that Magnus must be working on something. While he waits, Alec reads the board that runs along the back wall and debates between adding caramel to his hot chocolate this time around.

He’s not so preoccupied that he doesn’t notice the back door swinging open, though, to reveal Magnus in a Christmas sweater that actually lights up. His hair is loose this time in a wave over his forehead and there are blonde streaks running through it that give Alec a minor heart attack.

_He looks good enough to eat_ , Alec thinks and desperately wishes that this is one time when he doesn’t speak without thinking.

Thankfully he doesn’t make a fool out of himself and Alec is thoroughly charmed when Magnus comes closer and there’s a dusting a powdered sugar over his cheek.

“Alexander,” Magnus greets warmly. “I wasn’t expecting to see you again so soon.”

Alec smiles and takes a few steps over to meet Magnus by the register.

“Good morning, Magnus.” Rubbing a hand over the back of his neck, Alec continues, “My brother and sister ate all of my cookies so I came over hoping you were open so I could get some more.”

Laughing quietly, Magnus leans against the counter. “Poor darling. Did you get to eat any of them?”

“Only one,” Alec replies petulantly. “Before I passed out Sunday, I ate a cookie while half asleep in my kitchen. It was the best damned cookie I’ve ever had,” he says, remembering the sweet icing and the cookie that was so soft it _almost_ fell apart in his hand.

Magnus beams. “That’s what I like to hear. Unfortunately, I didn’t make any snowmen this morning but I have present-shaped sugar cookies?”

Alec looks over the case and sees the cookies in various shapes colorfully decorated to look like wrapped gifts. “I’ll take a dozen,” he says, looking up to meet Magnus’s eyes. “I also want to order a mix of other things? I’m going over to my mother’s for breakfast tomorrow and the family has a collective sweet tooth that could rival the cookie monster.”

“Of course, Alexander,” Magnus says and quickly fills one box with the cutout cookies before getting another and hovering a hand over the case, waiting for Alec to choose.

Alec selects a random mix of croissants and cinnamon rolls and muffins to fill the box. Magnus takes his time wrapping the two boxes-- green this time-- with silver ribbon before looking at Alec expectantly.

“Are you interested in a--”

“Hot chocolate? Hell yes I am,” Alec exclaims and leans against the counter as Magnus gets started.

Throwing a look over his shoulder, Magnus holds up a bottle of caramel sauce. “Are you a cocoa traditionalist or do you like adventure?”

“I love adventure,” Alec says and echoes Magnus’s laugh. He glares at Magnus’s surprised glance his way.

“Hey,” he says. “I’ll have you know that I took the summer before med school and toured Asia by myself.”

Looking appropriately impressed, Magnus asks, “Where all did you visit, darling?”

Alec is set to answer but just then Magnus flinches back, biting off a curse.

He’s around the counter before he even realizes that he’s moved. “Are you okay,” he asks, and gently takes Magnus’s arm from where he’d pulled it close to his middle.

He looks down and makes a small sound of sympathy as he sees the red skin that looks tender. “What happened,” he murmurs as he guides Magnus toward the door that leads to the back. There’s a sink against the wall and Alec turns on cool water and gently nudges Magnus’s arm under the faucet, frowning as Magnus sucks in a breath.

“Sorry,” he says quietly. “It’ll feel better in a minute.”

With quick instructions for Magnus to leave his arm under the water, Alec rummages under the sink and finds a first aid kit.

Gently drying Magnus’s arm, Alec studies the burn. It’s welted a little, looking puffy and painful. 

“This might hurt a little,” Alec says softly and begins spreading antibiotic ointment over the burn. It’s not until then that Alec realizes what’s happened.

The two of them are alone in the kitchen area. It’s so quiet that a pin could be heard and all of a sudden Alec is aware of just how close the two of them are standing. He hears Magnus release deliberate breath and leans down to blow over the burn, hoping to ease some of his discomfort.

Straightening, Alec reaches for the gauze and bandages Magnus’s wrist. He takes his time winding the bandage, making sure it’s smooth and as least painful as possible.

When he’s done, Alec looks up and the breath catches in his chest as he sees Magnus watching him, gaze steady and serious before his mouth curves into a grin.

“Thank you, Alexander. How much do I owe you?” His voice is teasing and Alec smiles even as he ducks his head so that Magnus doesn’t see the delighted flush crawl into his cheeks.

“It’s free of charge,” he says. “Consider it paid in baked goods.”

Alec looks up and is just quick enough to see Magnus bite his lip before he looks away.

Clearing his throat, Magnus says, “I don’t know what got into me. I’ve never burned myself before on that damned machine. I must have been distracted,” he murmurs and Alec hopes that it's not his fervent imagination that makes it seem like Magnus’s gaze falls to his mouth.

Taking a step back, Alec turns toward the sink, gathering up all of the supplies. “Yeah, well, I’m surprised you haven’t had more accidents. I’ve heard horror stories from chefs before.”

Humming a little, Magnus narrows his eyes at Alec. “Oh, I have stories to tell.”

He shoves up his other sleeve and points to his elbow. “This is from when I leaned on a countertop, forgetting that I’d just moved a hot pan from it.” 

He shows Alec his hand, palm up, and points to the wicked scar along the base of his thumb. “That’s from cutting an avocado. The knife went through my hand.”

Alec’s eyes widen as Magnus moves on, pointing out a thin scar on the back of his left hand that’s several inches in length. “And this scar is from cutting cake for a mold and the knife getting away from me.”

“All this tells me is that you shouldn’t use knives.”

Magnus laughs at the dryness in Alec’s voice. “My hands are littered with scars and I regularly have at least two band-aids somewhere on them or my arms. Cooking isn’t all Betty Crocker making family meals. It’s hard work, Alexander.”

Shaking his head ruefully, Alec raises his hands in a placating gesture. “You’ll get no argument from me. I can barely boil an egg without setting my kitchen on fire. I have nothing but respect for what you do. Plus, everything you make is so damned delicious and it’s obvious that you love what you do that I’d be a fool to suggest otherwise.”

Magnus sends him a curious look as they head back to the public space, Magnus holding the door open for Alec to follow. “You love what you do too, I assume? I find it hard to believe that you could work so hard if you didn’t.”

“No, I do.” Alec is quick to reassure him. “It’s just a lot sometimes, you know?”

Magnus fixes Alec another hot chocolate since his has cooled-- hushing Alec when he tries to protest-- and Alec continues, “There was a time I thought that I’d open my own practice once I turned thirty. I’d have a few years working the ER under my belt but I’d settle down and join on to another practice or immediately open my own. I turned thirty three in September, though, and still haven’t made good on that promise.”

Snapping a lid onto the to-go cup, Magnus turns to face Alec fully as he sets the hot chocolate next to the boxes of pastries from earlier. “What’s stopping you,” he asks as he rings up Alec’s order.

Shrugging, Alec reaches for his wallet. “I think I’m in a rut,” he says after a little bit of thought. “I’ve gotten used to the daily insanity of being head doctor in the emergency room and somewhere along the way it was easier to keep doing what works than branch out.”

“I know how you feel,” Magnus says slowly. “I’ve been thinking of opening a second location of Bane’s Bakery for a few years now but there’s always something holding me back. I always find an excuse to maintain this place and redirect all of my energy here instead of going for something a little more adventurous.”

It’s silent for a moment as they both think about their careers and Alec signs the receipt with little fanfare.

Accepting his copy, Magnus smiles at Alec. It’s a little sad but a lot contemplative as he finally says, “A new year is right around the corner, darling. Who knows what it has in store for us?”

Humming, Alec picks up his boxes in one hand and reaches for his drink with the other. He nods at Magnus, wry twist to his mouth.

“I suppose you’re right. Maybe 2019 is the year I finally go after what I want instead of sticking with the status quo.”

Magnus meets his stare and they share a look that’s equal parts hopeful and wry. “I, for one, am excited for the New Year,” he says primly. “I’ve always been a fan of new beginnings and fresh starts. It must be something in the air that makes it brim with possibility.”

Alec frowns, sheepish. “I haven’t celebrated the New Year in years now. I’m always working when the ball drops.”

Magnus’s voice is soft as he replies, “Maybe this year you can take some time to yourself.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Alec repeats and takes a step back to the door.

“I’ll be seeing you Magnus.”

“Goodbye, Alexander. Don’t be a stranger,” Magnus calls out as Alec turns toward the door.

Throwing a look over his shoulder, Alec just grins as he says, “You’ll be seeing me,” and walks out into the blustery December air.

As he walks down the block with his sweets and his chocolate, Alec wonders if Magnus isn’t on to something.

Maybe it is time to focus on himself, to work on a work-home balance that isn’t ridiculously and hopelessly skewed.

When he gets home, Alec checks his mail and sees an invitation from Catarina to her annual New Year’s Eve party next week. Without thinking too much about it, Alec RSVPs and smiles a little to himself. Resolutely, he decides that he won’t volunteer for a shift that night, that he’ll take that night-- full of possibility-- for himself and let it set a new precedent.

_Yeah_ , Alec thinks. _Maybe Magnus was onto something after all_.


	4. Chapter 4

Magnus is just taking his pecan sandies out of the oven when he hears the bell chime at the front door.

Carefully placing his tray on his stainless steel work table, he throws the towel he’d used as an oven mitt over his shoulder and heads to the public floor of the bakery.

He’s delighted when he sees none other than Alec walking up to the counter.

“If it isn’t my favorite doctor,” Magnus teases and ignores the niggling guilt for throwing Catarina under the bus.

Alec smiles warmly at him and it takes considerable effort for Magnus to keep his swooning under control. Alec’s visited the bakery every day since Christmas, albeit at unpredictable hours.

Magnus is only open from the early morning to mid afternoon and Alec had shown up at any and every hour. A few days ago he’d wandered in just a few minutes after Magnus had unlocked the front door. Still in his scrubs, he had sheepishly admitted that he was on a fifteen minute break and missed his hot chocolate.

Alec had ended up staying almost half an hour and all but running out the door as Magnus's laughter followed after him.

It's only been a week since he first met Alec but he’s quickly become the highlight of his day. Magnus spent most of yesterday thinking up recipes that Alec might like and he’d been torn between two different ones. Based on his preference for chocolate, Magnus had been playing around with a triple fudge brownie that was sure to blow Alec’s socks off. 

He’d attempted his first batch earlier in the morning and before Alec can say anything, Magnus is reaching for them. They aren’t _bad_ but they aren’t perfect either. There was something missing and Magnus knew that he most likely had another half a dozen attempts before the brownies were ready for unfettered access to his display case.

“If it isn’t my favorite baker,” Alec says without missing a beat.

“What brings you in today, Alexander?”

“It’s been a remarkably slow afternoon and I thought I’d go off campus for lunch today.”

Magnus narrows his eyes as he considers Alec’s words. He slides the brownie over to him on a custom plate he’d had designed for his bakery when was first thinking of opening the space and watches Alec’s expression carefully.

Alec doesn’t say anything and neither does Magnus as he takes a bite. Magnus watches him with an eagle gaze and reaches for a pad of paper and a pencil, ready to take notes.

He gives Alec enough time to swallow the first bite before his patience reaches its limits.

“Well, what do you think, darling? You're trying my first attempt at a triple fudge brownie and I’d love to know your thoughts.”

Alec hums a little but before he offers an opinion, he takes another bite that’s half the size of the baked good.

“It’s amazing,” he says, mouth disgustingly full. 

Magnus wrinkles his nose but he can’t stop the faint hint of fondness that creeps into his tone as he replies, “I need more than that. What’s missing? What works and what doesn’t? If I’m going to put these on my rotational menu, then they need to be the best brownies you’ve ever eaten.”

“They’re pretty good.” Alec sends him a tentative look before adding, “They might be missing something though if you’re aiming for the best brownie ever.”

Sighing, Magnus replies, “That’s what I thought but I can’t think of anything to add. I’ve got dark chocolate batter, semisweet chocolate chips, and fudge icing. I don’t know what I can throw in that won’t overpower everything.”

Thinking about it, Alec polishes off the brownie. He looks at Magnus one last time for confirmation that he really is looking for the truth before hesitantly offering, “What if you added sea salt? That--”

“Could cut through the overwhelming chocolate flavor. Excellent,” Magnus exclaims and he starts furiously writing on his notepad.

“Glad I could help,” Alec says dryly but Magnus only half-hears him as he thinks about how to incorporate salt. He could bake the salt directly into the batter? Or will people want to see the salt flakes in the icing--

Magnus’s thinking is interrupted by the clearing of a throat. He looks up only to meet Alec’s expectant look. He looks equal parts like he’s waiting for something and like he doesn’t really want to interrupt Magnus and Magnus feels a warm sense of fondness for him.

 _Really, Alec is too cute for words sometimes_ , Magnus thinks and raises a brow at his favorite customer.

“Yes, darling? What is it?”

“Can I have another brownie,” Alec asks, looking down at the display case where there are only a few left. Even if Magnus wasn’t particularly in love with them-- yet-- his customers today had been eager to try something new from him.

“Of course,” Magnus says absently, going back to his notepad. “As long as you wash your hands first you can help yourself.”

Magnus chews on the end of his pencil as he thinks about ratios. He could start with half a teaspoon in the batter and see how that works out or add to the batter _and_ the top with a sprinkle-- really, the possibilities are endless.

It takes him a minute but Magnus slowly becomes aware that Alec hasn’t moved from his spot. He looks up to see Alec staring at him with a surprised look.

“Yes?”

“Are you sure,” Alec asks, voice tentative. “I don’t want to overstep my bounds and go behind the counter.”

Magnus waves that away. “I wouldn’t have said that if I didn’t mean it. I’d think that I could trust you to get a brownie by this point.”

“We haven’t known each other that long,” Alec protests, moving around the counter to the sink by the espresso machine. He washes his hands and Magnus can’t help the way his eyes drift over Alec’s back, down to an ass that he definitely wouldn’t mind getting his hands on.

He startles, snapping his head up as Alec looks over his shoulder at him. Clearing his throat, Magnus dryly replies, “There’s just something about you. I trust you with my pastries, Alexander. Don’t make me regret it.”

Alec laughs as he dries his hands on a towel before turning toward the display case. He carefully selects another brownie-- a corner piece, Magnus notes-- and dumps it on his plate.

“Thanks,” Alec murmurs and Magnus makes a sound of agreement before he looks up unexpectedly.

“That isn’t lunch,” Magnus accuses.

“Sorry,” Alec asks, startled.

“You said that you were here for lunch. You can’t eat two brownies and call that a meal. Not only is that extremely unhealthy but it won’t sustain you on your four day shift.”

“I get off work at ten tonight.”

“See,” Magnus asks, sending Alec a victorious look. “Wait here,” he grumbles and starts toward the back.

He comes out just a couple of minutes later with half a sandwich and a bag of chips. Without saying anything, he moves to one of the tables in the front of the bakery and plops down. When Alec looks at him, confusion written all over his face, Magnus just waves expansively to the seat across from him.

“I didn’t eat all of my lunch so you can have the rest. At least this way you won't get a stomach ache from too many sweets,” he mutters, pushing the plate further onto Alec’s side of the table.

Magnus has a brief moment to worry that he’d been too forward but Alec brings his half eaten brownie with him and sits down. He smiles at Magnus.

“I can’t eat your food,” he says and Magnus rolls his eyes.

“Of course you can, Alexander, don’t be silly. Not only am I offering it to you but I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if you ended up working a fourteen hour surgery on a couple of brownies.” Magnus infuses his voice with grave responsibility and Alec laughs, shaking his head as he slowly reaches for the sandwich.

Alec snorts. “Dork,” he says under his breath, just loud enough for Magnus to hear.

“Takes one to know one,” Magnus fires back and Alec barks out a laugh before taking his first bit of the sandwich.

“Ham,” he mutters. “My favorite.”

Magnus beams at the admission and the two of them enjoy several minutes of conversation as Alec eats his lunch. Magnus even grabs a mug of tea, settling back in his seat as Alec starts on the chips.

It’s perfectly ordinary but Magnus finds that he can’t remember the last time he enjoyed himself so much over a meal. Alec is an interesting man and has no trouble keeping the conversation going.

For someone he didn’t know a week ago, Magnus reflects that Alec’s quickly become a friend.

The conversation winds down and Magnus takes their dishes to the back while Alec cleans up the small mess he’d made.

Magnus gets back to the table just as Alec stands up. They bump into each other and Magnus reaches out a hand on reflex, laying it against Alec’s side to steady him.

Alec looks up before he freezes. Curious, Magnus follows the direction of his gaze and freezes too as he sees what’s hanging over their heads.

 _Damn it_ , he thinks. _I should have taken my Christmas decorations down by now_.

It’s December 29th and Magnus usually takes them down the day after Christmas. He’d been distracted the past few days, though, and hadn’t gotten to them yet.

There’s a mistletoe above them and when Magnus lowers his head it’s to see Alec already looking at him with that laser-focused stare that makes Magnus unforgivably breathless.

There’s a moment, suspended in time, and Magnus knows that it’s not just his imagination when Alec’s eyes drop to his mouth.

On reflex, his tongue darts out to wet his lips and Alec shifts imperceptibly closer. Magnus is just leaning in, eyes closing, when the silence of the bakery is startled by noise.

They both flinch back and Magnus uses the space to clear his head as Alec’s hand goes to the beeper at his waist. He looks at the number before cursing, looking back up at Magnus as he starts toward the door, an apology already forming on his lips.

“I’m sorry Magnus but apparently there was a fourteen car pile-up on the Manhattan Bridge and they’re being directed to Tisch. I have to be there when the first ambulance arrives.”

Magnus is nodding as Alec explains, already waving him away. “Go do your job, darling. I wouldn’t dream of standing in your way.”

Alec steps back until he reaches the front door. He hesitates-- looks ready to say something-- but he closes his mouth and nods to himself before turning on his heel and striding down the sidewalk.

The door closes behind him, the little bell jarring in the new silence.

Magnus frowns as he heads to the counter. Looking at the clock he sees that he passed closing time a few minutes ago and starts to take away the remaining pastries from the case to pack them up. 

He never has too much left over-- thank God-- but whatever he does have at the end of each day is wrapped up and sent to a few shelters around the city. It’s not much but Magnus hates the idea of wasting perfectly fine food just because it’s a day old.

He uses the next hour to prep some of his dough for the morning and he’s just cleaning the last of his work table when his cell starts vibrating.

Pulling his phone from his pocket, he smiles as he sees the caller.

“Hello dear,” he says, answering the phone. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“You know damn well why I’m calling Magnus. My party is day after tomorrow and you still haven’t told me if you’re bringing a date.”

Magnus scowls at Catarina’s quick response as he unties the apron from around his waist and hooks it over the door.

“I believe I still have two days before you get your greedy little fingers on my dating life.”

“Don’t you see? I have to plan. If you don’t already have someone in mind, I was going to invite the doctor I told you about.”

Sighing, Magnus stares at the door where he’d watched Alec make a mad dash from earlier. He thinks about that charged moment under the mistletoe and can’t decide if he’s annoyed or relieved that Alec had been called to work.

Thinking about Catarina's New Year’s Eve party, Magnus is exhausted just thinking about trying to make small talk with a stuffy doctor. He’d much rather spend the night with Alexander but Magnus very much fears that he’d just watched his chances for a date go up in smoke with Alec’s retreat.

Truthfully, there’s no one else that he’d want to bring anyway. There's not even a hint of interest for anyone else and Magnus doesn’t have the time or inclination to try to find someone else on such short notice.

Cat is silent on the line, letting Magnus think things through, and Magnus resolves to ask Alec tomorrow if he'd like to join him at the New Year’s Eve party when he comes in for his usual hot chocolate and pastry. The worst that can happen is he says no and Magnus decides then and there that he won’t let said rejection ruin the budding friendship they have.

He really hopes Alec says yes, though.

Plan of action in mind-- Magnus can always tell Cat that he found a date after all and can be careful to avoid any other doctors at the party-- Magnus grudgingly admits, “I don’t have a date yet.”

Catarina laughs-- far more than Magnus thinks is appropriate. “I have to say I’m glad to hear that. I’m telling you Magnus, this guy is perfect for you. You like them handsome and a bit of an asshole and he’s got both those things in spades. He’s a secret softie though,” Cat continues conspiratorially. “He always sneaks lollipops to the kids that come to the ER and he once sat with a wife for hours while she waited for her husband to wake up from a baseball injury. He just doesn’t like anyone to know.”

“Why does he need your help getting a date if he’s so perfect,” Magnus asks, not willing to admit that her description _does_ seem to suit him.

“Didn’t you hear me? He’s a bit of an asshole. He usually looks annoyed and most of the staff here try not to get in his way. Plus, he might have a tendency to work a little more than he should.”

“Oh, don’t tell me this doctor is a workaholic,” Magnus says sarcastically. “I have yet to meet one that didn’t eat, breathe, and sleep their career.”

“I think he just needs to realize that there’s life outside of the hospital. Just give him a chance, Magnus, and if it doesn’t work out I’ll back off. I promise.”

Magnus mulls getting Catarina off his back versus having to put up with a doctor all evening. Unfortunately, if Alec doesn’t pull through, it really isn’t much of a choice.

“Okay, dear,” Magnus sighs. “We have a deal.”

He hears Catarina cheer from the other end of the line and rolls his eyes at her penchant for drama. It rivals _Ragnor’s_ , which is saying quite a lot.

The two of them chat for a few more minutes before hanging up and Magnus goes through the rest of his closing routine without further interruption. He locks Bane’s Bakery and starts walking in the direction of his apartment, huddling in his coat to keep warm against the vicious New York wind.

He spends most of his commute home thinking about Alec. He’s already thinking about making a batch of salted fudge brownies tomorrow and can’t wait to see Alec’s reaction.

The rest of the night passes with little fanfare and Magnus goes to bed dreadfully early as always and wake before the sun the next morning.

Most of the day passes in a blur. The bakery is busier than usual and it’s almost noon before Magnus comes up for air.

Every time the door opens, he hopes it’s Alec. It’s not until he’s closing at two, though, that Magnus realizes that Alec never came in. This is the first time in days that he hasn’t seen Alec and Magnus is overwhelmingly disappointed.

It’s not until Alec doesn’t come in on December 31st, though, that Magnus wonders whether or not Alec is avoiding him.

Replaying their last afternoon together, Magnus wonders if that mistletoe mishap meant more to him than it did to Alec and if Alec hadn’t decided to make a strategic yet subtle retreat.

Getting ready for the party that evening, Magnus hopes that this doctor Catarina is so excited over likes to drink because Magnus plans on ringing in the New Year drunk enough not to care that the most interesting man he’d met in the past year didn’t see him like that.

With a sigh, he picks up his wine bottle that he’d bought as a hostess gift and leaves the loft, headed to Catarina’s party and a date that he couldn’t care less about.


	5. Chapter 5

Alec feels exhaustion pulling at him but he steps out of the shower and heads to the sink, intent on shaving the three-day scruff that’s accumulated.

The accident on the Manhattan Bridge had kept Alec in the ER for over twenty four hours. He’d lost two patients and another six had been transferred to the Intensive Care Unit after undergoing extensive operations. It had been the following afternoon before Alec had crashed on the nearest cot in a staff lounge and slept a full six hours before he woke at midnight for his shift on the 31st. It had been a grueling shift but when someone had asked if he could cover their evening as well, Alec had almost said yes.

Almost.

Before he could accept, he’d remembered Catarina’s party. He had already RSVP’d and it would be the height of impolite not to show up after that. Alec might be known for being a bit of an ass but Maryse’s rules of decorum had been drilled into his head from a young age.

With regret, he’d told Dr. Underhill that he actually had plans. Underhill’s eyes had widened in surprise but then he’d smiled and clapped Alec on the shoulder, saying something along the lines of _it’s about time you did something for yourself, Alec_.

So, Alec had come home and crashed for an hour-- that did absolutely nothing for him except make him even more tired-- before dragging himself out of bed and into the shower. He doesn’t even know how long he’d spent in there with the steam and heat putting him into a fugue state.

He feels almost human when he steps out and Alec wakes up further as he starts shaving. Finishing that, he turns and heads to his closet where he debates for several minutes before reaching for a denim shirt that Isabelle had bought him for his birthday.

He hasn’t had a chance to wear it yet but as he slides into a pair of jeans-- Cat’s invitation had said casual attire, which he appreciated greatly-- and buttons the shirt, Alec turns toward his mirror and raises a brow at himself.

 _Damn, not bad_ , he thinks and wonders if maybe he’s gotten a little too used to seeing himself in a pair of scrubs.

He spares another few minutes to drag some gel through his hair and laces up his favorite pair of Doc Martens before he’s leaving his bedroom and grabbing his coat. For New Year’s Eve in New York, the weather is surprisingly mild. While it’ll be a little frigid by the time the ball drops in a few hours, for now Alec’s warm enough without having to add a scarf or anything else.

Looking down at his watch, it’s just after nine and he leaves his place, double checking to make sure he has his keys and wallet and phone. He doesn’t really know what he’s going to do once he gets there-- who he’ll even know-- but Alec remembers Magnus’s words and his own newly formed goal and resolves to enjoy himself even if it kills him.

He stops by a flower cart he sees on his way to Catarina’s townhouse and picks up a bouquet that’s a mix of wildflowers. They’re colorful and a little silly and Alec thinks they’re perfect for ringing in the New Year.

He finds the townhouse with little fanfare and knocks on the door, not sure what else to do. It’s opened a minute later by a grinning Cat and Alec laughs a little to himself as he sees that she’s wearing a cardboard hat with 2019 written in gold glitter around it.

“Alec,” she exclaims. “I wasn’t sure if you were coming.”

Alec looks at her confused. “I said I was on the invitation.”

Waving that away, Cat ushers him inside, taking his coat and accepting the flowers with a small smile. “I thought that you might end up working through the evening anyway and forget or decide not to come. I’m glad you made it, dear.”

Surprised, Alec accepts the hug Cat gives him and wonders just how long she’s already been celebrating.

Threading an arm through his, Cat starts walking past the foyer and into the house proper. There’s a surprising number of people there and Alec tries to pretend he doesn’t see Simon and Maia’s eyes bug out of their heads when they catch him enter.

“There’s someone I want you to meet,” Cat says absently, looking around at the party.

Alec head whips around to hers. “Why?”

Resolutely not looking at him, Cat replies, “I just think you two would like each other and since you’re both here I--”

“No,” Alec says flatly and returns Catarina’s glare with one of his own.

“Alec,” she starts, tone wheedling. “You’ve been working so much and I don’t think it’s out of the question that you might need a distraction. This distraction would just be in the form of a boyfriend.”

Alec raises a brow as he looks at her. “I can get my own dates, Cat,” he says dryly.

“But you don’t try! When’s the last time you were on a date,” she demands.

Alec mulls her question over and grudgingly admits, “I think it’s been six months. Maybe eight,” he says, trailing off as he tries to remember.

“See! That’s what I’m talking about. You’re in the prime of your life, Alec, but if you don’t stop living at that damned hospital then one day you’re going to wake up at sixty five and realize that maybe you should have spent a little less time helping others and more time thinking about yourself.”

“Cat, your reputation at the hospital was well known when I joined on. Everyone knows you’re a workaholic, too.”

“I was,” Cat admits. “But then I found a life outside of the hospital and if you’ve noticed, I keep regular hours now-- as regular as doctors can-- and I have people in my life that I prioritize.”

Following her stare, Alec sees a woman blow a kiss to Cat while she returns it. Averting his eyes, Alec has to admit that sounds nice. He wouldn’t mind having someone to share his life with-- the damned problem is that there’s no one who would tolerate Alec’s schedule and he’s not fool enough to try to settle again.

It doesn’t help that no one’s caught his eye in ages either.

Well. That’s not true.

Alec has to admit that he’s been preoccupied with thoughts of Magnus lately. The man was just so handsome and smart and witty and he just made Alec want to kiss him until they both forgot their names.

Sighing, Alec wishes that he’d had a chance to visit the bakery the past couple of days but work was a bitch and Alec had long since grown used to it inconveniencing him.

He tunes back in to his surroundings to see Cat looking at him with a steady gaze.

“What were you thinking about just now?”

Clearing his throat, Alec says, “Nothing,” and turns his head to avoid her seeing more than she should.

Cat had taken Alec under her wing when he’d first started at the hospital and through the past eight years, they’ve built a solid friendship. They occasional went out for lunch together and had a semi monthly book club that was just the two of them reading books and discussing them at the local diner.

Alec liked Cat and respected her but there were some lines that he just wouldn’t cross.

Breaking free of her grip, Alec turns to face Cat as she does the same, question in her eyes.

“I appreciate the thought, but I refuse to meet whatever guy you want to set me up with. I’m going to the bar to get a drink and then I’m going to find a book until midnight.”

Cat opens her mouth to argue before abruptly closing it. “Fine,” she says and Alec has the niggling feeling that she’s just humoring him before she turns on her heel and walks away from him.

Deciding not to look a gift horse in the mouth, Alec does as planned. He orders a glass of moscato before weaving his way through guests, looking for Cat’s library that she was constantly raving about. 

He doesn’t see very many people that he knows but that suits Alec just fine now that he has a plan of action. He walks past a couple kissing far too loudly in the hallway and tries the first door on his right. Successful, he sees Cat’s library in all its glory with floor to ceiling shelves that look hand-carved and original to the house.

Browsing through books, Alec finally lands on a text about medicine in the eighteenth century. It looks just interesting enough to keep his attention and he’s about to take his drink and his book to a comfortable looking chair in the fire when the door swings open.

Startled, Alec’s head snaps up and he’s even more surprised when he knows the person.

“Magnus,” Alec exclaims, instant smile lighting up his face. “What are you doing here?”

“Alexander?”

Magnus is looking at him like he’d just told him he’s the Ghost of Christmas Past and Alec doesn’t know what to do and ends up giving a little wave like the dumbass he is when he’s around Magnus.

“What are you doing here,” Magnus echoes, looking nonplussed.

“Cat invited me,” Alec says. “She usually invites me but I always end up working New Year’s Eve.”

“Catarina always invites you,” Magnus asks, voice suspicious. Alec doesn’t know what he’s getting at but he just nods.

Sighing, Magnus goes to the couch in front of the fire and settles down in one corner. Alec follows and chooses the other side of the couch, foregoing the chair he’d originally planned on.

“What’s wrong,” he asks. Now that he’s getting over his surprise, Alec studies Magnus and is a little worried. Magnus seems down and Alec hates that Magnus wouldn’t be feeling his best on what’s supposed to be a celebratory night.

Magnus considers him for a moment before saying, “I thought you were avoiding me.”

Alec rears back like he’s been slapped and opens his mouth just to close it without saying anything before trying again.

“Why would you think that? I thought we were becoming friends. I’ve been to your bakery every day for almost two weeks.”

Magnus just looks at him like he’s trying to work out a thousand piece puzzle. “You haven’t been in the past two days and excuse me if I thought you might have turned tail and run.”

Magnus isn’t doing anything but confusing Alec more. “Why would I run? I like you. I’ve just been caught up on work.”

Alec blames the fire and his glass of wine for his sudden yawn. Turning his head to hide from Magnus, Alec looks back just to see Magnus’s face slowly transforming from the glum visage it’d been when he’d sat down to something like humor glinting in his eyes.

“Forgive me, but after what happened at the bakery, I thought you were sending me a hint.”

It takes Alec longer than it should to remember and when he does his eyes widen. Now that he’s put the pieces together, he can see how it could have looked to Magnus and he’s quick to set things right.

“No,” he exclaims and Magnus’s own eyes widen at Alec’s vehemence. “I definitely wasn’t avoiding you. I just had that accident and then I had my regular shift and long story short I think I’ve slept four hours since I saw you last.”

At that, Magnus’s face softens and he moves over on the couch, closer to Alec. His eyes peer into Alec’s and Alec has nothing to blame the way his heart is racing on but the man in front of him who looks like everything Alec's ever wanted.

“So let me get this straight,” Magnus says slowly. “You almost kissed me and then had to leave for a work emergency. You’ve been working since. You haven’t suddenly decided that you'd rather suffer something horrible than run into me under another mistletoe?”

Alec can’t look anywhere but at Magnus and he sucks in a sharp breath at Magnus’s succinct words. He bites his lip, considering, and sees the way Magnus’s eyes drop to his mouth. Gathering his courage, Alec smiles just a little.

“I wish there was a mistletoe here now,” he says softly. “I wouldn’t let another chance pass me by.”

At that, Magnus’s eyes light up and he laughs a little as he moves even closer to Alec, until their thighs are touching. Alec feels Magnus’s warmth, so close and the last thing he sees before he lets his eyes fall shut is Magnus grinning at him and looking bright enough to rival the sun.

“Well, then, how lucky for us that we don’t need a mistletoe,” Magnus murmurs and less than a second later Alec feels lips against his.

It’s soft at first, just a press of the lips before Magnus shifts angles slightly, deepening the kiss. Alec follows suit and as the fire crackles in front of them, Magnus and Alec share a string of kisses.

When Magnus opens his mouth for a breath, Alec deepens the kiss even further and from there the heat gradually builds until Alec’s left gasping. The two of them break apart for a bare minute and Magnus’s eyes are shining, reflecting the dull glow of the fire and they smile at each other-- something soft and full of wonder-- before they dive back in.

Alec doesn’t know how long they kiss but when Magnus urges him closer, Alec somehow ends up straddling him, knees on either side of Magnus’s hips.

He feels hands under his shirt and Alec shudders as he moves to mouth along Magnus’s neck.

It’s been ages since Alec felt like this and he distantly wonders if it’s ever felt quite as good, as all consuming as it does with Magnus.

Alec feels comfortable with him in a way he’s rarely felt with anyone else. He genuinely likes Magnus and as he feels cool air wash over his chest from where Magnus is slowly unbuttoning his shirt, Alec thinks dizzily that Magnus is different.

Their lips have just reconnected and Alec’s hands are buried in Magnus’s hair when they both freeze, hearing a pointed clearing of a throat.

Their breathing is harsh in the quiet of the room and as Alec pulls back he refuses to look at the door for just a few more seconds. All he sees is Magnus and Magnus looks good enough that Alec briefly considers just ignoring the interruption. His mouth is swollen and his hair is disheveled and with color running high across his cheeks, he looks the picture of debauched.

Alec feels a hint of pride for making Magnus look so mussed and he starts grinning, Magnus echoing his expression.

Unfortunately, the person doesn’t go away and Alec pries his eyes away from Magnus to see who had entered the library. His eyes widen in alarm when he sees his coworker and mentor.

“Cat,” he says, voice strangled and tries to straighten from his compromising position.

Cat just sends him an arch look. “Alec,” she says dryly.

Her gaze switches to Magnus and she raises a brow. “You could have told me you already knew him.”

Looking confused, Magnus’s hands rest on Alec’s sides as he asks, “What are you talking about?”

It’s Catarina’s turn to look confused and studies the two of them before her eyes widen. “Don’t tell me you two just met this evening and you’re already defiling my furniture.”

Alec shares a look with Magnus, both of them shaking their heads minutely, before Alec turns back to Cat.

“Catarina, neither of us have any idea what you’re talking about. Care to enlighten us?”

Cat looks between them as she slowly pieces things together. Before too long, she’s grinning maniacally, looking like the cat that’s just caught the canary.

“Alec,” she says slowly. “Why don’t you tell Magnus your job title.”

Confused, Alec obeys. “I’m head of the Emergency Room,” he says tentatively.

Magnus’s head whips up to look at him but Catarina doesn’t give him a chance to say anything before she’s continuing on.

“Alec, remember when I told you that there was someone I wanted you to meet earlier? You’re sitting on him,” she says dryly and Alec’s own gaze snaps to meet Magnus’s.

The room is silent as they look at each other, incredulous. Alec can’t believe that Cat and Magnus know each other. Not only that, but the man that Alec couldn’t get out of his head was the same person that Catarina had wanted him to meet.

It seems to good to be true.

Alec blinks, refocusing, as Magnus turns to Catarina. “I’ve known Alec for a couple of weeks. He started visiting the bakery. I had no idea he was who you were talking about though or I would have demanded more information.”

Catarina just sniffs, looking haughtily superior. “Maybe you should start listening to your friends, then.”

She sends them one last look before shaking her head and turning to leave. Alec hears her laugh to herself before muttering underneath her breath, “I’m surrounded by idiots.”

She shuts the door, leaving them in peace, and the room is eerily quiet now that she’s gone.

Alec looks at Magnus to find that he’s already staring steadily up at him.

“What are the chances,” Magnus says softly and his thumb starts to sweep over Alec’s side.

“I have no idea,” Alec says and leans down to kiss Magnus.

Pulling back, he sees that Magnus’s eyes are still closed and he can’t help himself as he raises a hand and brushes a thumb over Magnus’s bottom lip. Magnus opens his eyes and kisses the pad of his thumb.

“I’m glad you came to the party this year, darling.”

“Me too,” Alec says. “I have you to think, you know. Our talk about new beginnings and possibilities made me decide to take some time for myself. I think I might work too much,” he admits wryly.

“Well, maybe I can help with that, _Dr. Lightwood_.”

Alec’s laughing as Magnus pulls him back down and the kiss that follows is lingering and full of possibility.

 _New beginnings, indeed_ , Alec thinks and then he’s not thinking at all.

They’re still kissing as the ball drops. They barely hear the cheers from the main room and as a new year begins, Alec loses himself in Magnus and hopes that this is the start of something great.


	6. Chapter 6

Standing, Alec shrugs into his coat. It’s in the single digits and as he pulls his gloves on, Alec’s gaze snags on the picture on the corner of his desk.

He reaches out, only one glove on, and brings it up to him, studying it.

What a difference a year makes.

In the frame is a picture of him with Magnus. It’d been taken just a couple of months ago when they’d gone on vacation to the Dominican Republic. It’s a selfie Magnus had taken and he’d surprised Alec, turning at the last minute to kiss his cheek as he hit the shutter button.

It’s one of Alec’s favorite photos of the two of them and whenever Alec is stressed or work seems impossible, he can come back to his office and spend a few minutes calming down as he looks at his boyfriend.

With a sigh, Alec sets the picture back down and finally puts his other glove on. He debates for a minute but ultimately shakes his head, leaving his briefcase next to his desk.

He refuses to take his work home with him. This upcoming week is just for Magnus and Alec won’t ruin it preoccupied with patient files and the latest paper he needs to submit to the New England Journal of Medicine.

Shutting the lights off, Alec is just locking up when he hears a voice behind him.

“What’s this,” Catarina asks, shocked. “Don’t tell me you’re leaving at a reasonable hour.”

Turning to face her, Alec just pockets his keys and grins. “It’s 4:59 on Christmas Eve. I promised Magnus I would be home by 5:30.”

“Whoever thought we’d see the day,” Cat marvels. “Dr. Lightwood not only leaving for vacation but cutting out _early_. I’m impressed.”

“It’s only a minute,” Alec says, rolling his eyes.

Catarina laughs before her face turns serious. “I’m happy for you, Alec. It’s nice to see that you’re not chained to the hospital anymore. I was starting to lose hope,” she ends dryly.

“Well, it helps that I’m not in the ER anymore. I’m able to keep much better hours since I accepted the lead pediatric consultant position.”

“Yeah,” Cat sighs. “You got away from the daily insanity of the Emergency Room.” She considers him. “Do you ever miss it?”

“Sometimes,” Alec admits. “But not as much as I thought I would. I love working with kids more and Magnus is happy that I’m not working thirty hour shifts anymore.”

He shrugs. “It’s a win-win.”

Laughing, Cat shoos him out of the corridor. “Well, don’t let me keep you from Magnus. I hope you have a great week away from here.”

“I will,” Alec says with a firm nod and turns on his heel to leave.

The commute home isn’t bad at all. He'd moved into Magnus’s loft and it was close to the bakery and the hospital. Fifteen minutes later, he’s putting his key in the door, swinging it open to see a sight that’s more home than the building around them.

Magnus is in the living room. He has a record on, something smooth and slow, and he’s pouring a glass of wine, hips swaying lazily to the beat.

Taking a drink, he looks up as Alec toes off his shoes and starts unbundling from the cold outside.

“Alexander,” he exclaims. He looks down at his watch. “I wasn’t expecting you for another hour at least.”

“I told you that I would be home by 5:30 and it’s--” he takes a quick glance at the wall clock behind Magnus. “5:22.”

Waving that away, Magnus reaches for another glass, pouring a generous amount of Merlot. With both glasses in hand, he starts walking toward Alec.

“Sometimes you get distracted from work. Especially since you have the next ten days off,” he says, equal amounts of surprise and delight in his tone. “I thought you would work until the janitors told you to leave tonight.”

Accepting the glass Magnus holds out to him, Alec says, “It’s Christmas Eve. There was no way I was gonna miss it. Not when I have you to come home to,” he says softly, smile gracing his mouth.

Magnus’s own lips turn up as he reaches out with his free hand, smoothing down the lapel of Alec’s suit jacket. “Aren’t you the charmer tonight,” he murmurs. “Are you after something, Dr. Lightwood,” Magnus asks, teasing lilt in his tone.

Laughing, Alec wraps his hand around Magnus’s waist, bringing him closer. “And if I am,” he asks with a raised brow.

Curling a hand in Alec’s hair, Magnus replies, “Then you should know I’m pretty much a sure thing for you. Though compliments will get you everywhere, darling.”

Magnus grins before leaning into Alec further and lays a kiss on him that’s warm and familiar but irresistible all the same.

When Magnus pulls back a few minutes later, he opens his eyes to see that Alec’s are still closed. His boyfriend looks warm and happy and it’s Magnus’s favorite look on him.

_He’s really just a giant puppy_ , Magnus thinks, and gives him one last peck on the lips before taking a step back and pulling Alec with him to the couch.

Alec goes willingly and as they settle on one end, Magnus relaxes into him as Alec throws an arm over his shoulder, pulling him closer.

The loft is decorated for Christmas and has been since the day after Thanksgiving. Christmas was their favorite holiday and they’d made a special effort for their first one together.

The tree is trimmed, looking bright and chaotic, and there are string lights around the balcony railing. There’s a dozen festive touches around the apartment and Magnus couldn’t remember the last time he’d had so much fun decorating.

The two of them spend awhile on the couch, talking about their days and anything else that comes to mind in between stretches of quiet that’s as content as it is affirming.

Magnus never gets used to it. He can’t believe that he just met Alec a year ago. It seems both like so much longer and a blink of an eye. Alec comes over to the bakery a few times a week and Magnus has surprised him a time or two at the hospital. Even the shitty cafeteria food wasn’t as bad as long as he could spend an hour with his boyfriend.

Well. Magnus smiles to himself as he turns his head up, kissing Alec’s jaw. He hasn’t said anything-- of course not-- but Magnus thinks of the little black box he’d stumbled across when cleaning their bedroom a few days ago and it takes everything he has not throw his arms around Alec and never let go.

He'd known his answer the moment he realized what he'd found. 

He doesn’t want to ruin Alec’s fun, though, so Magnus just listens as Alec talks about the patient he’d had this morning, a boy who’d broken his leg while sled riding. He makes appropriate noises to show that he’s listening but all the while, he’s thinking of the past year and how much his life had changed.

Looking back, he was definitely in a rut. He’d had his bakery and his friends but there had been something missing. Then Alec had walked through his door one December afternoon and everything had turned just a little brighter.

Magnus still feels like that a year later and distantly he hopes that he never loses that sense of wonder when he thinks of the man beside him.

It takes Magnus a minute but he realizes that Alec’s stopped talking. He zones back in only to see Alec looking at him with a bemused expression.

“What’s going on?”

Clearing his throat, Magnus takes a sip of wine before smiling up at Alec. “Nothing, darling. I was just thinking about my opening next month.”

Humming, Alec kisses the top of his head. “Are you all ready for it?”

“I am,” Magnus confirms. “You know me though, always running through contingency plans.”

"Brooklyn won't know what hit it," Alec says easily. "You picked the perfect spot for the second location of Bane's Bakery."

"Thank you, darling. I'm excited to get to work and finally open in a few weeks."

Alec makes a noise of agreement while taking a drink from his own glass. Magnus silently breathes out a sigh of relief that he’d averted that potential disaster and the two of them continue with their evening.

The lights are low-- all the better for their Christmas tree to glow merrily-- and the fire’s died down a little when Alec abruptly stands, reaching a hand out for Magnus to take.

Resting his hand in Alec’s outstretched one, Magnus doesn’t move from the couch quite yet. He raises a brow in silent question.

Grinning, Alec tugs on his arm a little. “It’s Christmas Eve,” he says gravely. “You know what that means.”

Magnus thinks for a minute before giving Alec an incredulous glance. “Darling, I don’t know how to break this to you but we don’t have to go to bed early so Santa doesn’t pass our apartment--”

Magnus breaks off as Alec laughs bounces off the walls. 

“We have to make cookies for him, don’t we?’

Alec’s looking at him with guileless eyes and Magnus sighs a little to himself as he gets up, though he he can’t resist his boyfriend’s enthusiasm.

Magnus wonders whether the cookies will be burnt or not done enough and decides that he doesn’t care. Alec might be an unmitigated disaster in the kitchen but the next few hours promise to be fun, if nothing else.

Magnus is disgusted later in the evening when the sugar cookies manage to be _both_ burnt at the edges and gooey in the middle, the decorations making the cookies look even uglier, if that was even possible.

But Alec seems content enough and Magnus loves him, so he lets him have his delusions as Alec eats a cookie like they’re the best things he’s ever tasted.

Magnus doesn’t have the courage to ask if Alec prefers his own sugar cookies or the bakery’s.

They order late night takeout and eat it in the living room, glasses of wine at their elbows and a fire roaring in front of them.

Magnus wakes up Christmas morning with Alec wrapped around him like a particularly stubborn octopus and relaxes into their bed, his heart fit to bursting.

He wonders if a heart is supposed to be this happy, this overwhelmingly content. They go over to Maryse’s for Christmas brunch and spend the afternoon at home.

Later that night, Magnus is surprised as Alec abruptly stands from the couch and takes his hand, leading him out of the living room. He pauses in the middle of the hallway and looks up pointedly.

Magnus looks up, too, and almost laughs at the newly hung mistletoe before he looks back at Alec and his heart goes to his throat. He starts grinning even as the first tear spills down his cheek.

Because Alec’s in front of him on one knee, little black box open to reveal a stunning ring.

**Author's Note:**

> Catch me on tumblr or twitter @carmenlire!


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